AIM

To find the refractive indexes of :

(a) Water
(b) Oil
(Using a plane mirror, an equiconvex lens, and an
adjustable object needle)

Name: Samrat Gaur

Class: XII – E
Roll No.:
 Certificate

This to certify that “Samrat Gaur” of class XII – E prepared this project ‘To find the
refractive indexes of : (a) water and (b) oil, using a plane mirror, an equiconvex lens, and
an adjustable object needle.’ under my supervision to my complete satisfaction.

..........................................................
Mrs. Rakhi Singh
Head of Physics Dept.
 Acknowledgement

In successfully completing this project, many people have helped me. I would like to
thank all those who are related to this project.

I gratefully acknowledge the effective guidance and constant encouragement received

from our chemistry teacher Mrs. Rakhi Singh, who had always been a great inspiration
behind the completion of this project. I’m indebted for her tiring effort and valuable time
that she spent to make me understand the theoretical as well as practical aspects of this
project. Her suggestions and directions have helped in the completion of this project.

I must take this opportunity to thank the cooperation of, our lab attendant for her support
and instruction while performing practicals are worth mentioning.

Finally, I would like to thank my parents and friends who have helped me with their
valuable suggestions and guidance and have been very helpful in various stages of
project completion.
Aim
To find the refractive indexes of
(a) water
(b) oil
using a plane mirror, an equiconvex lens, and an adjustable object needle.

Apparatus
A convex lens, a plane mirror, clean transparent liquid in a beaker, water, oil, an optical
needle (a thick knitting needle passed through a rubber cork), an iron stand with base and
clamp arrangement, plumb line, plane glass slab, a spherometer, half metre scale.

Introduction
In optics, the refractive index or index of refraction n of a material is a dimensionless
number that describes how light propagates through that medium. It is defined as:

c
                                              n= v
where, c is the speed of light in vacuum and v is the phase velocity of light in the
medium. For example, the refractive index of water is 1.333, meaning that light travels
1.333 times faster in a vacuum than it does in water.

The refractive index determines how much light is bent, or refracted, when entering a
material. When light moves from one medium to another, it changes its direction, i.e., it
is refracted.

If i is the angle of incidence of a ray in vacuum and r is the angle of refraction, the
refractive index n is defined as the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of
the angle of refraction.
Theory
When a convex lens is placed over some drops of the given liquid on a plane mirror, a
plano-concave liquid lens is formed between the lens and the mirror.

 If f1 is the focal length of the convex lens and F is the focal length of the combination of
convex lens and plano-concave liquid lens, the focal length of the liquid lens f2 is given
by,

                    

If R is the radius curvature of the face of the convex lens which is in contact with the
liquid, then the refractive index of the liquid is,

                    

Where n = Refractive index of the liquid R = the radius of the curvature of the convex
lens.
The radius of the lower surface of the convex lens is given by
R = 𝒍 𝟐 𝟔𝒉 + 𝒉 𝟐
Here, l is the average distance between the legs of the spherometer and h is the difference
in the reading of the spherometer when placed first on the convex lens and then on plane
mirror.
Procedure
(a) For focal length of convex lens

1. Take any one convex lens and find its rough focal length.
2. Take a plane mirror and place it on the horizontal base of the iron stand.
3. Place the convex lens on the plane mirror.
4. Screw tight the optical needle in the clamp of the stand and hold it horizontally
above the lens at distance equal to its rough focal length.
5. Bring the tip of the needle at the vertical principal axis of the lens, so that tip of
the needle appears touching the tip of its image.
6. Move the needle up and down and remove parallax between tips of the needle and
its image.
7. Measure distance between tip and upper surface of the lens by using a plumb line
and half metre scale.
8. Also measure distance between tip and the surface of its plane mirror.

(b) For focal length of the combination

1. Take a few drops of transparent liquid on the plane mirror and put the convex lens
over it with its same face above as before (A piano concave liquid lens is formed
between plane mirror and convex lens).
2. Repeat steps 6, 7 and 8.
3. Record your observations as given below.

(c) For radius of curvature of convex lens surface

1. Determine the pitch and the least count of the spherometer. Remove the convex
lens and dry it completely. Put the spherometer on this lens surface.
2. All the three legs of the spherometer should be placed symmetrically on the lens
and adjust the central screw tip to touch the surface of the lens.
3. Remove the spherometer from the surface of the lens and place on the plane
mirror surface and record the reading.
4. Repeat the steps 10 and 11 three times.
5. Obtain the impressions of the three legs of the spherometer on a paper and mark
them and their average distance.
 l1+l 2+l3
l=
3
Observations
Pitch of the spherometer= 1 cm
Least count of the spherometer = 0.01 cm
Distance between the legs:
(1) AB = 3 cm
(2) BC = 3 cm
(3) CA = 3 cm
Calculation of h`
S no. Initial No. of Final Additional h=n * Mean *h``
Reading complete reading of C.S div pitch + m [cm]
of the C.S rotations the C.S on moved * L.C
on the [n] the glass
convex slab
lens [a]
1 62 0 6.5 55.5 0.555 0.5775
2 64 0 4 60 0.6

To measure focal length ‘f’ of convex lens

Distance of needle tip from
Area S. No Tip of the Upper Mean Focal
between upper surface of Length
lens and surface of the plan
plane mirror the convex mirror (cm)
lens (X1) X2
Without 1 30.5 31 30.75 f1= 33.85
Liquid 2 36.7 37.2 36.95
With Water 1 31.4 31.8 31.6 f2=34.7
2 37.5 38.1 37.8
With Oil 1 9.4 9.6 9.5 f3=10
2 10.4 10.6 10.5
Calculations
Mean distance between two lens
AB+ BC +CA
l=
3
= 3cm
(0.555+ 0.6)
Mean of h = = 0.5775cm
2
To find the radius of curvature of the convex lens:

l2 h
𝑅= + = 2.8861 𝑐𝑚
6h 2
Measurement of refractive indices of water and oil
1) With water between the convex lens and the plane mirror:
R 2.8861
𝜇1 = 1+ + =1.0831
f2 34.7

2) With oil between the convex lens and the plane Mirror
R 2.8861
𝜇2 = 1+ + =1.2886
f3 10

Results
The refractive index of water is µ1 = 1.0831
The refractive index of oil is µ2 = 1.2886 
Precautions
1. The plane mirror should be clean and fully shining surface.
2. The liquid taken should be transparent.
3. The parallax should be removed tip to tip.
4. The eye should be at a distance about 30 cm from the needle while removing the
parallax.
5. Only few drops of liquid should be taken so that its layer should be thick.
6. The legs of the spherometer should be vertical.
7. The centre leg of the spherometer should turn in one direction only.

Sources of error
1. Liquid may not be quite transparent.
2. The parallax may not be fully removed.
3. The spherometer legs should be placed symmetrical on the surface of the convex
lens.
4. The tip of the central screw should not just touch the surface of lens or mirror.